Epox Badger RMF stock....The Beginning

Ok, so RMF, what does it mean?  RMF stands for Richards MicroFit gunstocks.  The have an awesome collection of laminate stocks.  From Rifles to shotguns.  From blanks to ones for select rifles.  And in all sorts of colors and styles.  So when I purchased the Epox Badger 40 cal, it was automatic that I would buy a RMF gun stock.  Not just because I like RMF but also because I mod everything I own.  Another reason I chose RMF is because they offer any color/style stock the make for QB actioned guns.  And the Badger is one such Air Rifle.  Its based off of the QB action.  Here is a quote right from the webpage showing what they are all about:
"Richards Microfit Stocks, Inc.
Semi-Custom Gunstocks Since 1948
Gunstocks for Over 100 Bolt Actions, Air Rifles, & Muzzleloaders in 25 Different Sporter, Standard & Target Stock Designs!
20 Laminated Colors & 8 Grades of 7 Different Species of Hardwoods! 
Our Gunstocks are Custom Made.... You Choose the Style, Wood Type & Action Inlet
FREE Rosewood Tip & Cap Installed on Sporter Stock Styles"

The Epox Badger 40 cal:

After sorting through many pages, I decided to go with the WOLVERINE style and the IMPERIAL color scheme.  Complete with Rose Wood end caps on both the pistol grip and the for-end.  The one thing about ordering a stock for the QB action is that RMF cuts off the fore end rosewood end cap which makes the stock overall length shorter.  You don't want this as the Big Bore conversions based off the QB action tend to be much longer than an actual QB airgun itself.  So IMO, it makes the gun look a little weird.  So with this order, I made sure I enforced the "do not cut off the endcap" rule.  And RMF complied.

The RMF stock (in the raw):

 The RMF stocks come to you unfinished bye the way so you can either do it yourself or send it off to your favorite gunsmith.  I choose to tackle mine myself and also add a Morgan Butt Pad.  I'm not going to get into "how to finish a gun stock" but here is the final SANDED gun stock ready for coats of preferred finish:

So as you can see, the stock project is coming along quite nicely and will be done very soon.  More update on this project coming soon so make sure your in the know!

Tofazfou

Long Range Ground Squirrel Hunting-TD257 Style!

Recently, I managed to get out with a couple of local YouTube hunting buddies.  BWalton and HunterOne.  I've posted and hunted with BWalton (Baxter) before but had never met HunterOne (Toby).......TILL NOW!  On this adventure, we head to a local area in the mountains that Baxter managed to receive permission to hunt on years ago.  Toby's and I are 1st time visitors there and the farm did not disappoint.  Watching previous videos from BWalton, I had loned to shoot this property with him.  The location and property are breathtaking.

  

As usual, we start off sighting in and it didn't take very many shots to get to center.  This was a good thing as the morning temperature was roughly 34+ degrees.  California has a way of being beautiful and HOT looking when its actually cold.  After all its the desert.  After sight-in, we all pick our spots that we wanted to occupy in the field. The field is roughly 300+ yards by 600 yards.  The draw for me coming to this local is that it would offer me long distance shots.  200+ yards and further.

The action proved to constant despite the cold weather.  Ground Squirrels in California don't necessarily hibernate and will sunbath and feed year round long as the sun is out and it feel moderately warm to them.  I was having slight issues with the guns performance due to the cold weather.  My Air Rifle is custom and the tolerances are close.  Many parts of the rifle are aluminum and some are steel.  This means the gun gets either very cold (winter months) or very warm (summer months).  The orings in the breech tend to drag along the barrel when its cold.  And this was the primary issue of the morning.  With a few short and long distance practice shots, I got a feel for the performance.  The 1st squirrel was at 60 yards and I missed slightly left of the squirrels noggin.  The next shot was dead on.  Ground Squirrel 1....down!  The next GS was 139 yards away but despite my gun shooting slightly lower speeds than normal, my mil-radian scopes hash marks still hold true for 12 yards each mark.  So it was still easy figuring out which hash mark was dead on at 139 yards.  At the shot, it dropped slightly to the right of the squirrel but dead on vertically.  A minute hold left on the 2nd shot provided a square upper torso hit which DRT'd the squirrel in its hole. The gun was becoming better and the morning was starting to heat up slightly.  The next bunch of shots down range found their marks with no follow up shots necessary.  My furthest shot was well over 200 yards but unfortunately, because of the dead/brown alphalpha stalks, distances over or near 200 yards became very hard to range accurately.  So i don't have an EXACT range number but trust me, it was well over 200 yards.  Our pesting session ended on a high note with BWalton and HunterOne shooting my TD257.  BWalton was up first and made a very near miss on a GS at over 210 yards.  He gave the gun over to Hunter1 and he managed to tag a GS at a lasered 194 yards.  His response was music to my ears.  He simply said, "WOW, THAT WAS EASY".  BWalton and HunterOne were very extactic to shoot the 257 that they have heard a lot about.  It lives up to the hype.

These are only a handful of pest that we took that day.  The rifles are from left to right: HunterOne's Hatsan Carnivore .30 cal tuned by BWalton.  Another Hatsan Carnivore 30 cal that BWalton was testing for 1 of his customers.  Tofazfou's TD257.

Left to Right: HunterOne, Tofazfou, BWalton

Tofazfou YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tofazfou/videos

BWalton YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeuw4_-CMvgevEFLGMFSFA/videos

HunterOne YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtWPWVSfSgJR0Z_zoLfrBmQ/videos

Stay Tuned for more HPA Adventures!

Tofazfou

This Just In!!!! Epox Badger 40 cal

Ordered this gun back in March (2016) and it finally came in the other day.  Its designed based off the Chinese QB platform so if it looks familiar, that's why.  But this is definitely no QB CO2 air-gun. Its American made 40 cal big bore muscle.  The only QB parts on this gun is the cocking handle and the trigger assembly and the wood stock.  Even the barrel band is different.  This big bore is said to make roughly 200-300 FPE but when testing starts, we will have the final numbers.   The scope she is wearing is an older model Hawke Varminter series in 6-24-44mm with mil-dots and is pretty clear.  Its what she will wear for now for glass and it the scope continues to be trouble free like it has, I see no change in the future.  Word on the streets is Dan McVey from XP airguns made this gun and this company goes by the name EPOX.  This gun was purchased from www.airgundepot.com and was a steal at $599.00.

I bought here a nice new Red and Grey dress complete with Black 3" high heels.  Richards Micro-Fit is one of my favorite places to purchase such items......lol!  Boy did i have some sanding to do.

Stay Tuned!  More to come very soon!
Tofazfou

My Son gets a AirForce TalonP

THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME:

At 9 yrs old, just like me when I was 9, My son gets his 1st PCP airgun.  All i got at 9 yrs old was a Crosman 760 Pumpmaster and this kid gets a PCP.......LOL.  My, how times have changed.  His other gun is a CO2 2240 modded with a 14" barrel.

More to come as MORE parts come in.  This is going to be one fun HPAdventure.

TOFAZFOU

MOLDS, MOLDS, MOLDS........

Various bullet molds and various calibers

As the title states, I own and healthy amount of bullet molds to feed my airguns.  Not only are the manufacturers and calibers different but, the types of metals they are made of also vary.  They are Brass, Steel/Iron and Aluminum. I have owned even more but have since sold some of them and the guns they were for.  Such as my Jack Haley 457 and its bullet molds and the molds for my Corsair+ .308 when it was in .308 cal and also a few 7mm molds.  Lets also not forget that these molds are for Powder Burners and can be used for airguns as long as the cast bullets are properly slugged for your guns bore (same with PB's also).  Even though I have trimmed down my mold collection to the very necessary only, I will be buying more soon......lol!

WHY CAST BULLETS:  Without getting into to much technical jargon, a cast bullet provides more downrange energy via its weight and higher BC/SD (ballistic coefficient/sectional density) than a pellet.  So what does that all mean in layman's terms.  It means that once you find the most accurate cast bullet for your airgun (s), it will allow you to hunt bigger game than one normally would with a airgun and it allows you to take FURTHER shots. Not only on game but also on targets whether it be paper, steel or reactive targets. The debate of head shots often comes up and to answer that quickly, any projectile of a decent weight and shape can penetrate the skull/brain of most game.  Even big game.  But you are seriously pushing the envelope.  I will leave that at that.  But with a cast bullet, the extra weight and SD allows you to make not only head shots but it allows you to make body shots which is what is most presentable on game.  In other words, for the majority of HUNTING shots, its easier to hit the vitals in the body than it is to hit the brain on a head bobbing animal.  Moving on to target shooting, a cast bullet in a powder burner or an airgun allows you to save money.  Target copper bullets (for PB's) are expensive and so are match grade pellets (for Airguns).  Cast bullets are very cost effective and are proving to make some really tight groups far down range at further ranges than what a Diablo pellet is capable of.  Many a cast bullet in my arsenal are providing MOA and LESS at extended ranges out to over 400 yards!

THE MOLDS:

 ARSENAL MOLDS 257388 85.5 gr (1% TIN)-.257 cal

 LBT 285130 130 gr-7mm

LEE Precision (Lee) 7mm 130 gr SOUPCAN

 ARSENAL MOLDS 2574520 Boattail 71 gr (1% TIN)-.257 cal

LBT (Lead Bullet Technology) 258 90 gr. LFN-.257 cal

 LEE PRECISION (LEE) .379 cal 250 gr FP-.375 cal

ACCURATE MOLDS 360109  BBT (Bob's Boattail)-.357 cal

NOE Bullet Molds 288132 FP-7mm

 LEE Precision .358 cal 105 gr SWC

RCBS .458 cal 300 gr FP

These are just SOME of my current and past bullet molds that have provided years of casting service and enjoyment and cost savings.  If you are a shooter of any discipline, you can seriously benefit from casting your own slugs.  There is such a sense of satisfaction when you take time to create a projectile that puts hole in hole in targets downrange or ring that long distance steel plate or take that once of a life time game animal.  If you own a small, med or big bore airgun (even powderburner), I urge you to give bullet casting a try.  It just goes with the hobby.

STAY TUNED!

Tofazfou